David Croft shares whether he thinks Sebastian Vettel could go to Mercedes in 2025

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Sebastian Vettel has appeared on the radar of Formula 1 once again after departing at the end of the 2022 season and Sky Sports reporter David Croft has been discussing whether he could see him driving for Mercedes.

Lewis Hamilton’s departure to Ferrari has posed team principal Toto Wolff with a conundrum heading into 2025.

Speaking on Sky Sports Formula 1’s social media channels, Croft talked about the options the Silver Arrows have available to them.

David Croft talks about Sebastian Vettel’s chance of joining Mercedes

It wouldn’t be the first time that a former Formula 1 world champion has returned to the sport to drive for Mercedes.

When the team first re-joined the grid back in 2010, they paired up-and-coming Nico Rosberg with one of the greatest drivers in the sport’s history.

After leaving Ferrari back in 2006, Michael Schumacher took a four-year sabbatical before returning to F1 but achieved just a single podium before quitting at the end of 2012.

Mercedes have plenty of options on the table when it comes to replacing Lewis Hamilton and Croft has been speaking about whether he could see Sebastian Vettel filling that role.

The four-time world champion was unstoppable during his time at Red Bull before joining Ferrari.

He came close to ending their wait for a world championship, but couldn’t thwart Hamilton and after a disappointing last campaign with the Scuderia, he finished his career at Aston Martin.

At least that’s what most Formula 1 fans thought, but now his name is in the conversation once again to potentially return to the grid.

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Sebastian Vettel unlikely to be among top candidates for Mercedes

The driver Toto Wolff would love to bring to the Silver Arrows more than anyone else is Max Verstappen.

His future at Red Bull doesn’t appear to be as secure as it once was and he would be by far the strongest driver they could hire to replace Hamilton.

Speaking about the drivers available to Mercedes – including Vettel – Croft said: “But if he [Max Verstappen] wasn’t to get the Mercedes seat, would it go to Sebastian Vettel?

“I don’t think that would be the case either. Seb would have been out of the sport for a couple of years by that stage.

“I wouldn’t say he was driving to the best of his abilities, the best that we’ve ever seen of Sebastian Vettel when he left the sport.

“And I think Mercedes if it’s not to be Max Verstappen would go for a younger option.

“Either, Andrea Kimi Antonelli who I’m told is the real deal, who Mercedes believe could be a bright spark in their team for many years to come or somebody like Carlos Sainz who admitted in the press conference today that he was talking to a whole number of teams up and down the grid.

“But surely as now a three-time race winner, he would be a very attractive proposition for Mercedes if they wanted a good, solid driver alongside another good, solid driver in George Russell.”

Who could end up driving for Mercedes in 2025?

As Croft suggests, there are plenty of drivers Mercedes could target this year, meaning a return for Vettel would be a real surprise at this stage.

If they can’t convince Verstappen to abandon the fastest car on the grid then Carlos Sainz would be a very strong alternative.

He’s definitely interested in the seat, but as he said in the pre-race press conference in Japan, he’s not closing any doors at this stage.

“I’m talking obviously to a few [teams] because that’s what my management team and myself should do when I don’t have a job for next year yet,” Sainz said.

“We’re talking to pretty much all of them.”

Antonelli’s progress in Formula 2 will be monitored closely and it would be a straightforward promotion for Mercedes to implement if he makes an overwhelming case to earn a race seat next year.

The likes of Esteban Ocon and Valtteri Bottas are outside shouts but Wolff will want his team’s line-up for next year sorted sooner rather than later.